Vietnam - Hanoi

Hanoi, like any capital city, is a bustling, noisy, dusty place.  We stayed in the Old Quarter and this is Hoan Kiem Lake, meaning Lake of the Restored Sword (after some old legend), situated there.

The only way to move large numbers of kids?   Get them to link and walk in the road.  Bikes, cars and buses all swerve to avoid them, mostly...  I think I've previously mentioned poor road and driving in Asia, but this place has been the worst of anywhere we've been, so these kids are all very brave, I promise you!

St Joseph's Cathedral.  Built in 1886 just after the French Colonists had occupied the region.  They destroyed a former pagoda (buddhist place of worship) and put this in its place

This was a gift from the people of Switzerland (who else), though can't really tell the time from it once you're a few feet away

There are thousands of microbreweries around Vietnam all producing 'Bia Hoi', or Beer Draught.  Street sellers with plastic chairs invite you to sit and these cost 5000 Dong, less than 20p. We never had a bad beer from them and preferred it to the official bottled stuff

There aren't many English signs in Hanoi, though some that are, were more confusing than the Vietnamese ones!

A statue of Ly Thai To (meaning 'Supreme Forefather').  In 1010, he founded what is now, modern day Hanoi and officially got independence from the Chinese 'Song Dynasty'.  Last year Hanoi celebrated its 1000th year birthday!

This is the Tortoise Tower in Hoan Kiem Lake.  There are apparently, soft shelled tortoises living in the lake